Crayon carrying and storing device

ABSTRACT

This is a crayon carrying and storing device for children. It has a base member and a pair of side rails which together with the base form a trough. End plates close the trough, and a handle extends between the end plates. Each of the side rails has a multiplicity of bottomed apertures to support crayons in an upright position. The trough serves to carry broken crayons and other articles.

United States Patent Leu Sept. 16, 1975 [54] CRAYON CARRYING AND STORING 2,792,935 5/1957 Rocchetti 206/379 DEVICE 2,829,778 4/1958 Carabct 211 74 2,835,406 5/1958 Dickcrs0n.. 224/48 R [76] In en r: h l 4460 Nettleten 3,233,804 2 1966 Ddhm 224 48 R Medina, Ohio 44256 3,670,938 6/1972 Brocato 224/48 R [22] Filed: Jan. 28, 1974 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [21 1 Appl. N0.: 437,011 2,004,478 8 1971 Germany 206/372 E b J. 52 us. (:1. 224/48 R; 211/74 1 "Z' f E 232 d [51 Int. Cl. A47B 81/00 [58] Field of Search 224/45 R, 48.3, 45 P;

21 1/69.1, 74, 71, 69 R; 206/224, 199, 203, ABSTRACT This is a crayon carrying and storing device for chil- 9/ /259 dren. It has a base member and a pair of side rails which together with the base form a trough. End 1 1 References Clted plates close the trough, and a handle extends between UNITED STATES PATENTS the end plates. Each of the side rails has a multiplicity 361,652 4/1887 SOmerS 211 74 of bottomed apertures to Support crayons in "P- 540307 6/1395 Andrews right position. The trough serves to carry broken cray- 92l,l49 5/1909 Norwood ons and other articles. 1,474,891 11 1923 Bart et 31.... 1,972,519 9/1934 Hasenour.... 1 Clam, 2 Drawmg F'gures 2,659,490 11/1953 Swan 211/69 CRAYON CARRYING AND STORING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a crayon carrying and storing device, and more particularly to a crayon carrier and support for use by a child which will provide an attractive arrangement for storing crayons and supporting them and making them easily accessible and available for use, and provide a convenient support or case for the crayons, so that the child can easily remove and replace a desired crayon, thereby keeping the crayons in an attractive, easily accessible, orderly arrangement.

Crayons conventionally have been sold in various types of boxes and plastic containers with folding type covers or other lids. These containers, while providing a rather practical storage device for crayons when they are not in use. and while providing in many instances a rather convenient means of carrying the crayons, nevertheless do not stimulate a young childs imagination or creative desire, and further are not particularly inviting to the child to remove and replace crayons individually as they are used. Rather, they are rather prosaid containers, and, in most instances, the childs tendency is to remove the crayons as they are used and scatter all the crayons around the area, there being no incentive or stimulus for the child to return each crayon after its use before removing the next crayon.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION According to the present invention a crayon carrying and storing device is provided which has a structure including bottomed apertures therein adapted to support and store a plurality of crayons in a generally vertically extending position for easy accessiblity. The device also is configured to provide a center trough open on the top, but enclosed on the other sides where broken crayons and other materials may be stored. A carrying handle is also provided so that the child may carry the device around. Thus, there is provided an esthetically pleasing carrying device adapted to allow easy accessibilities for each of the childs crayons, the crayons being individually supported and easily replaced. The configuration is such that it invites the child to take crayons out one at a time as they are being used and return them to their proper position before selecting the next crayon. The device also is adapted to act as a container for the crayons and the device is intriguingly arranged with the handle to provide a stimulus for a young child to carry the device around creating make believe and play games with the device. Also, the arrangement invites the child to experiment with arranging the crayons in different color patterns in the apertures and thus the device acts not only as an effective carrying and storing device, but as an intriguing play device enticing and encouraging a childs creative imagination to develop various skills utilizing simply the crayons and this simple device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a crayon supporting and carrying device according to this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the plane designated by the line 22 of FIG. I.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, a crayon supporting 5 and carrying device according to this invention is shown. The device includes a flat base member having secured on opposite sides thereof a pair of side rails 12. The side rails 12 extend longitudinally the length of the base member 10 and upwardly a distance above the 0 base member 10 and together with the base member define a trough I4 therebetween.

A pair of end members 16 are provided secured to the opposite ends of the base member 10 and extend a substantially greater distance upwardly than the side 5 rails I2 and preferably are rounded at the top thereof as shown in FIG. 1. These end members 16 close off the ends of the trough 14 so that the trough is enclosed on five sides and open on the top for access thereto.

Each of the side rails 12 is provided with four bottomed apertures 18 regularly or evenly spaced therealong, and of a sufficient size and configuration so that each can support a crayon in the upright or upwardly extending position as shown by the dotted lines and designated by the reference character 20. Also, a carrying handle in the form ofa cylindrical dowel is provided which extends between the end members 16 near the top thereon and is positioned so that a child can grasp the dowel and carry the device around.

As can be seen from the drawing, the device is an esthetically pleasing device which supports and displays the childs crayons in an interesting manner allowing easy access to the crayons thereby making it relatively simple for a child to remove but a single crayon utilizing it as needed and then replacing it to its proper opening before selecting another crayon. This minimizes the propensity for the child to strew crayons all over the area in which the child is working with the well-known often unpleasant results occasioned thereby. Also, the device is an attractive and attracting device motivating the child to store his or her crayons in the device in an orderly and regular manner, thereby tending to encourage orderliness and neatness and the habit of putting things away in their proper place after they are used.

Further, the device is of a configuration which invites the child to pick it up and carry it around and create various carrying games therewith. The apertures while being principally designed for crayons can also function to hold other cylindrical objects in a play-fantasy situation for the child. Further, this particular arrangement of the apertures for displaying the crayons provides an opportunity for the child to arrange various colored crayons in different patterns, thereby forming visual relationships between various colors in sequential or sequence patterns.

The trough 14 is the center allows for the storage of additional crayons over and above the number which can be supported in the apertures and it also allows the support of small stubby crayons; or indeed any other small articles which a child might desire to carry around can be stored inthis central trough. The imagination of a child knows no limits as to what possibly can be stored in here, either in relation to the crayons or simply on the whim or desire of the child.

Thus, the present device, while serving the specific function of the more mundane containers for crayons, in addition creates a whole new opportunity for the child both for creative play and for the learning function of orderliness of maintaining things in their proper place as well as utilizing them individually and also contributes to a more neat and orderly area around the child where the child is utilizing the crayons;

What is claimed is:

l. A crayon transporting and storing device comprisa base member,

a pair of solid side members permanently secured to the opposite lateral sides of said base member and extending a substantial distance thereabove and parallel with each other to form with said base member a rectilinear trough therebetween.

a pair of end members disposed at opposite ends of said base members and cooperating therewith and 

1. A crayon transporting and storing device comprising, a base member, a pair of solid side members permanently secured to the opposite lateral sides of said base member and extending a substantial distance thereabove and parallel with each other to form with said base member a rectilinear trough therebetween, a pair of end members disposed at opposite ends of said base members and cooperating therewith and with said side members to close the ends of said trough and provided unrestricted access to the trough from above thereby allowing for storage and retrieval of small objects therein, said end members rising above said side members, each of said side members having a plurality of spaced bottomed vertically extending apertures having continuous side walls the length thereof configured and arranged to receive and support crayons in vertically extending positions, crayons disposed in vertical position in said apertures, and handle means extending between said end members for carrying said device. 